DHAKA: Saudi Arabia launched its flagship Nusuk initiative in Dhaka on Thursday to streamline the Umrah journey for Bangladeshis.
The South Asian nation is the fourth-largest Muslim-majority country, and more than 150 million people profess Islam. Every year, tens of thousands of them visit Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages.
Nusuk, an e-visa, planning and booking platform that allows travelers to create pilgrimage itineraries for Makkah, Madinah and beyond, is aimed to help them organize their visit.
The platform was launched by the Saudi Tourism Authority and Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, on his first official visit to Dhaka.
“It is our holy responsibility and we are committed to do everything possible to make the spiritual journey of the pilgrims safe, accessible, hassle-free and comfortable. We are constantly working on enriching your pilgrimage experience,” the minister said during the launching ceremony of the service at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center, which was attended by Bangladeshi officials, tour operators and travel organizations.
“We welcome you to Makkah, we welcome you to Madinah, we welcome you to Saudi Arabia. You can come anytime. You are always welcome.”
Alhasan Al-Dabbagh, president of the Asia-Pacific markets at STA, told reporters that the introduction of Nusuk aimed to “increase the ease and accessibility for Bangladeshi travelers, especially with the growing numbers of Umrah pilgrims.”
Fahd Hamidaddin, managing director of Nusuk, said that Bangladesh was a “key strategic market” under Saudi Vision 2030, and in this year alone 332,000 Bangladeshi travelers had already visited the Kingdom.
“We look forward to growing this number to 3 million by 2030,” he said. “We are excited about working together with our key trade partners and collaborating more closely with them to facilitate fulfilling our brothers’ and sisters’ Umrah dream and spiritual and cultural enrichment. I cannot wait to welcome everyone to Saudi very soon.”
The Saudi delegation’s two-day trip to Bangladesh followed a similar visit to Pakistan this week, as part of efforts to highlight the Kingdom’s progress in transforming the Hajj and Umrah ecosystem.
The most recent changes to the Kingdom’s policies allow those performing Umrah to stay longer, as Umrah visas have been extended from 30 to 90 days.
The Hajj minister on Wednesday also announced free four-day visas for Bangladeshis transiting via Saudi Arabia, and the civil aviation authorities of both countries signed an agreement to enhance connectivity.
“Having more direct flights will make it more convenient, also reduce the cost, and there are low-cost carriers being introduced to take travelers between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia,” Al-Rabiah said.
“The visa process now is much faster, much more efficient ... I am still working to enhance the visa facilities more. It’s a continuing process.”
Bangladeshis welcomed the moves, and the minister’s visit. Al-Rabiah is the first Hajj minister to pay an official visit to Dhaka.
“We are delighted to see him here, and the whole country was waiting to see him, to receive him, to give him a warm reception,” said Shahadat Hossain Taslim, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh.
“Today they have a roadshow here for Nusuk ... This is a wonderful platform to book an Umrah visa, ground service and transportation, and other facilities.”
